Threadless nut or collar



Nov. 18, 1930. H. DALTON THREADLEss NUT on COLLAR Filed Feb. 10, 1928Patented Nov. 18, 1930 i UMH-:D4 STATES PATENT oil-Fica 4HUBERT DALToN,or sTAivrroRn,v ooNNEcTroUK'rA TiREAnLEss NUT oaycoLL-An Application andFebruaryio, 192s.I serial-N0. 253,332.

This invention relates to a threadless nut or collar, and has for itsprimary object and purpose to provide means carried by the nut of collarwhereby the same may be very easily, quickly and securely attached to ashaft or bolt, andl also removed therefrom when necessary by the,operation of a single retaining element which can be readily effe'ctedvwithout necessitating the usefof a tool or implement of any kind.

More particularly, my invention has for its essential object and purposeto provide a.

simple and novel form of spring locking member carried by the nut forcooperation with the walls of ar groove in the bolt or shaft, andwhichmember is so constructed that it can be easily actuated by thefingersy of the hand and disengaged from said groove kto permit of theaxial movement of the nut to or from its applied position.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theimproved threadless nut or collar, and in the form,

construction and relative arrangement of the several parts thereof `aswill be hereinaft-er more fullyk described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, and subsequentlyincorporated in the subjoinedclaims.

In the drawing, wherein I have illustrated one simple andpracticalembodiment of the invention, and in whichA similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding `parts throughout the several views,-

VFigure l is an end elevation partly in section showing the retainingmember in full lines in its locking position and in dotted lines in thereleased position, thev section being indicated by the line 1-1 in Fig.2, and

Figure 2 is abottom plan view of the de.

vice as seen in Fig. l, a part of the nut being shown in section.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 indicates a shaft or rod having anannular groove 6 in one end thereof.

The nut or collar 7 is formed with an external annular groove 8 and inline with this groove, the nut 7 at one lside thereof is provided with aslot 9 opening through the inner face of the nut.

` `Theretaining member consists of a length of resilient wire having oneend portion thereof bentor curved as at `il() and seated in the groove 8at a point which is substan` tially diametrically opposite toA the Vslot9. Frein 'this curved end portion," thewire is extended outwardly fromthe base of the groove. 8 at aslight inclination as indicated atlll, andis then `laterally extended and formed with the bend l2. From this bendG0 a long straight. section 13 of the wire extends through the slot `9and'normally lies in intersecting'. relation to the inner longitudinalface of the nut. The other extremity of the wirey projects laterallyvbeyond the side of 65 thef'nut and isA bent to fform' theA terminallooplt."` fA In the `operation and useiof the device'as abovefdescribed,in applying the. nut to the endofr the shaft or bolt, the thumb isplaced vupon vthe surface o f vthe nut between the bend y'12 andthe;terminal loop 14 of the retaining member with r'which the` irs't twofingers of 'the'haiid are respectively engaged and sulfi-rcientfpr'essure is exerted against the terminal loop lll to position thestraight portion 13 of the retaining member outwardly beyond the innerfaceof the nut 7. The nut may then be passed over the end of the shaft,and upon the release ,of pressurev against l the terminal ,loop 14e' ofthe vwirelretaining member, the part 18 thereof willi snap into thegroove' 6 inthe surface of the shaft, thereby securely locking .the nutor collar against an` axial movement relativeto the shaft thoughpermittingV of its turning movement thereon. Y

"Vhenit is desired to remove the nut or collar, this may be readilyaccomplished by V simply applying the finger andV thumb of the ,nhand'as above explained and forcing the end loop/,14 ofi the wireretaining member outwardly to substantially the dotted line 11 of Fig. lof the drawings so thatthe ynut can then be'withdrawn longitudinallyfrom the end of the shaft. i It is thusseen that by the use` ofaretaining member of this form, the nut can be very easily and quicklyapplied or lremoved'without the use of a tool of any kind, and alsobyeliminatingth'e usual threads, the possibility ofthe nutv becomingimmovably locked to the shaft by reason of Inutili-5% tion of thethreads will be obviated, also the necessity of rethreading is avoidedby means of the present invention.

From the foregoing description, considered l n n l 1n connection withthe accompanying drawing, the construction and several advantages of thedevice will be readily understood.

*havey found the particular form and construction of the retainingmember as herein shown and described to bevery advantageous in practicaluse, but it will nevertheless be understood that this retaining memberboth as to the construction thereof and the manner of its assemblagewith the nut might be embodied in various other alternative forms. It istherefore, to be understood that I reserve the privilege ofV resortingto all such legitimate changes in the various details of the device asmay be fairly considered within the spirit and scope of the invention asl claimed.

I claim: l. Invcombination with a shaft having a taining member adaptedto normally seat in the groove in the shaft to thereby lock the collaragainst axial movement while permitting of its rotation relative to theshaft.

3. A collar having a transverse slot in one side extending entirelythrough the wall thereof, and a retaining member for said collarconsisting of a length of resilient wire permanently attached at one ofits ends to the collar and having a part at all times positioned withinsaid transverse slot and extending therethrough for engagement with acircumferential groove in a shaft to retain the collar thereon and saidwire at the opposite ends of said part thereof and externally i of saidslot being formed into finger engaging loops whereby said part of thewire may be sprung from its normal position out of the shaft groove topermit of the removal of the c-ollar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name hereto.

' HUBERT DALTON.

circumferential groove in the face thereof, a

collar for said shaft having a transverse slot in one side extendingentirely through the wall thereof, and a retaining member for saidcollar consisting of a length of resilient wire held at one of its endsin fixed relation to the collar and having an intermediate bend thereinextending laterally from one side of the collar,rand a substantiallystraight portion extending through said'slot inwardly of the inner` faceof the collar and terminating in a loop projecting laterally from theopposite side of the collar,:said straightfportion of the retainingVwire adapted for engagement in the groove in said shaft and said por-`ion of the wire adapted to be sprung outwardly `by pressure againstsaid terminal loop to permit of the axial movement of the collarrelative to said shaft.

2. In combination with a shaft having a circumferential groove in theface thereof, a collar having an external annular groove and a lslot inline with said groove extending through vthe wall of 'thecollar at oneside thereof, a retaining Ymember for said collar consisting of a singlelength of resilient wire having a curved end portion seated in thegrooveof said collar in fixed relation to the wall thereof and bent toprovide a lateral loop'extension from said fixed end portion and astraight relatively yieldable portion ex'lending through said'slot inthe collar and normally intersecting the inner face of said collar, saidlatter portion of the wire proj ecting beyond one side of the nut andterminating in a finger engaging loop whereby pressure may be applied toyspring said straight portion of the wire outwardly be yond the innerface of the nut and permit the collar to be moved longitudinallyrelative to the shaft, said straight portion of the wire re-

